That total will stay re-set on zero until at least mid-May after Lackey was diagnosed with a strained right triceps Friday. He and Escobar (sore shoulder) will open the season on the disabled list and likely each miss eight starts or more.

“I don’t feel good at all. Lackey, he’s our ace,” said Escobar who started a throwing program Saturday morning. “When you lose two guys like that it definitely hurts your team. I just hope it doesn’t hurt too much.”

Lackey called the news “disappointing, definitely – but I guess it could have been worse.”

“I mean, we’d definitely like to start off well, but I think we’ve got enough talent to at least stay in the race and have a chance when it comes time,” said Lackey who has never missed a start in his professional career.

“It’s no fun – definitely not where I want to be.”

Lackey was already set back by a sore elbow early in spring training and did not make his first Cactus League start until Monday. He said he began experiencing pain in a new place after his bullpen session on Wednesday.

This time, the pain was above the back of the elbow instead of inside the joint and down towards the forearm.

Lackey was examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum on Friday and an MRI confirmed his diagnosis of a strained triceps. Lackey will not participate in any baseball activities for the next three to four weeks at which point he will be re-evaluated.

Bill Plunkett has covered everything from rodeo to Super Bowls to boxing (yeah, I was there the night Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear off) during a career that started far too long ago to mention and eventually brought him to the OC some time last century (1999 actually). He has been covering Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register since 2003, spending time on both the Angels and Dodgers beats.